Chapter 17: Psyche vs Logic

                                    

                                          

They found Jake sitting at the central plaza, perched on the marble pedestal of the fountain's central piece. Surrounding him were statues of what Will immediately recognized as the Muses, each posed elegantly, their forms illuminated by the faint glow of the plaza's decorative lights.
"Weird," Will murmured, narrowing his eyes at the intricate details of the fountain. "I swear, in all the pictures I've seen in news articles, the central piece looked way simpler than this."
"Mist at work, yet again," Jake sighed, running a hand through his hair as he stood up. "That thing's as unpredictable as the weather. Makes stuff look ordinary to mortals, you know?"
Malcolm crossed his arms, clearly unimpressed. "So what did you see here, exactly? Because right now, I don't spot anything out of the ordinary."
Jake scoffed, brushing off the skepticism. "Well, to put it simply," he said, gesturing toward the fountain, "this thing has two sets of gears. Both have their own valves. One is obviously meant for plumbing, which I used to turn off the water flow. But the other set? Definitely not normal."
He shot Malcolm a pointed look, anticipating a rebuttal. "And before you say anything, I already checked-the second valve isn't connected to the water system. There's something else at play here."
Malcolm narrowed his eyes at the fountain, then nodded slowly. "Alright. If you're right-and I'm not saying you are-then it's worth investigating."
Jake crouched down and began pointing out the hidden mechanisms beneath the fountain's ornate designs, while Will circled the structure, scanning it for any additional clues. 
"Most of the gears are inside," Jake explained, motioning to the fountain's core mechanisms, "but this special second set? It's connected to the statues of the Muses."
Malcolm leaned in, his flashlight illuminating the gleam of the ancient metal. "And made of celestial bronze," he noted, adjusting his glasses. "Decently maintained too. Very interesting."
Will chuckled, shaking his head. "Good thing Connor isn't here. He'd definitely wonder if this setup was meant to make them dance to the Gospel of Truth-you know, like in the Hercules movie."
Malcolm snorted faintly but didn't comment, his focus locked on the mechanisms. "Where's the valve that connects to this gear system?"
"Over here," Jake said, limping forward with a grimace. He led them to a door embedded in the wall nearby, its edges rusted but still functional.
Jake pointed around. "This is it. Valves for the fountain's plumbing and apparently for this other system too. Tho there is also something else."
Will and Malcolm followed his pointed finger to see the supposed iron lock for the door lay cracked and discarded on the floor.
Malcolm knelt to inspect the broken lock, his fingers brushing the shattered remains. "Someone's already tampered with this," he muttered. "This wasn't just an old lock failing on its own."
"But what could have done this?" cried Will, his voice trembling as he instinctively clutched the bow strapped to his back. His eyes darted nervously toward the shadowy corners of the room. "Do you think it's a rogue monster?"
"Even if it is," Malcolm replied, his voice calm but his tone edged with grim certainty, "it's definitely both elusive and intelligent. Look at the precision of the damage-this isn't some mindless beast."
Jake gulped audibly, taking a cautious step back. " That's what I noted too. Let's stay sharp and just get out of here as soon as possible after we solve the riddle," he muttered, his hands twitching toward the hilt of his chain whip.